Introduction

Nikon lens names aren't getting any shorter recently so hold your breath and
try to say Nikkor AF-S 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED DX VR without gasping. :-)
Its most obvious differentiator to the el-cheapo Nikkor AF-S 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED DX
is the 2nd generation VR (Vibration Reduction) mechanism.
As a designated DX lens it projects a reduced (APS-C) image circle and
is therefore not compatible to full format SLRs anymore. The field-of-view is
equivalent to about 82.5-300mm.

The build quality is actually pretty good and a clear step up from the older
AF-S 55-200mm non-VR. That said it is still a consumer grade lens with a
plastic body (down to the lens mount). The very broad rubberized zoom ring
feels reasonably smooth. Same goes for the tiny focus ring although it isn't
exactly fun to focus manually due to the extreme short focus path. As you can
see in the image below the lens extends towards the long end of the zoom range.
Unlike its non-VR cousin it only uses a single inner lens tube to do so which
is certainly a better approach regarding long term reliability. As specified
in the lens name the lens uses an internal focusing design so the size of the
lens remains constant during focusing and the front element does
not rotate. Typical for all G-type lenses the Nikkor does not provide a
dedicated aperture ring anymore.

According to Nikon the "Vibration Reduction (VR) offers the equivalent of
shutter speeds 3 stops faster for more flexible hand-held shooting". Maybe
it is more related to my coffee consumption but I was never able to achieve
reliable results close to the specified maximum efficiency. In the field
the VR in this lens gave me about 2 stops, maybe even less.

Just like all recent Nikkor lenses it features an AF-S motor (silent-wave (ultrasonic))
so AF operations are near-silent although the speed is a bit on the slow side.
The AF accuracy of the tested sample was very high.